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Chapter 582: Trade Position (2)

“This is the preference ranking… and bloodless trade is the last option…?”

At Yeongwoo’s question, Kejen nodded.

— If possible, everyone wants to get what they want for free. Nobody likes paying, right?

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Yeongwoo looked down at the listed items with a troubled expression, then shifted his gaze back to Kejen.

“Doesn’t this basically make trading impossible? If everyone’s a scammer…?”

Then Yeongwoo blinked rapidly, as if something had just clicked.

“Oh. This must not be the preference list for the entire Black Zone—it’s the preference list only for holders of a Level-3 permit.”

— Still, you’ve got some sense.

“Then does this include the preferences of Level-2 or Level-1 permit holders too?”

— No idea about that. But what you’re looking at definitely reflects the tendencies of people who’ve earned Level-3 permits.

Kejen added that the system doesn’t even bother asking for trading positions from those below Level-3.

“Even so, to earn a Level-3 permit you’d have to be far from ordinary. Why would someone like that come here planning to freeload from the start?”

Every time Yeongwoo looked at Item 1, he felt his blood boil.

[1] Has no payment, but wants to acquire goods.

‘What the hell am I supposed to steal if even the traders come here with no money and no goods?’

Strictly speaking, he and Kejen actually did have payment.

They possessed the Katangdal ingot, and they would soon retrieve the royal seal as well.

“Aren’t we the only suckers here? This feels extremely unfair.”

— You won’t only meet Level-3 permit holders as trading partners. Accidents will happen, but it’s not like you’ll never get paid.

Then Kejen continued.

— And that Katangdal ingot you’re carrying is practically a universal currency in this place. Plenty of buyers. Though that also means plenty of scammers.

“What about the seal?”

— The seal is… a bit special.

“Special how?”

— Think about what kind of royal seal would even show up as an item for sale here. Obviously, it’s stolen goods.

“Well… yeah, obviously.”

When Yeongwoo acknowledged it, Kejen nodded again.

— And not just anyone can steal a royal seal. Meaning the seller will be no pushover. Therefore the buyers tend to fall into one of two categories.

Kejen raised two fingers.

— High-end collectors of rare goods. Or…

“The other being scammers, I assume?”

— No. If the buyer isn’t a collector, then nine times out of ten, it’s the original owner of the seal.

“What— the owner? Are you saying the Kardal royal family would come here to buy your seal back?”

— Depending on the situation, they might buy it… or simply take it. In any case, the moment news of my jailbreak reached them, they would have dispatched a seal-retrieval specialist here.

“Then things really do get complicated.”

Kejen shrugged.

— What’s complicated? Whoever shows up, you just sell the seal for the right price.

“But if the royal family’s agent appears instead of a collector?”

— Heh heh, this is the Black Zone. You just follow this place’s rules.

He pointed at Item 5.

[5] Kill or take everything.

— If I were alone, I would’ve slipped past the royal family’s agent one way or another… but with you here, our options are much better.

“So that’s why you dragged me along.”

— Well, you do need to dispose of the Katangdal ingot too, right? Whether it’s stolen goods or contraband, there’s no better place than the Black Zone.

Kejen’s eyes glittered with a predator’s excitement.

He had returned to his element—his profession.

— Hurry up and read the remaining options. I’m curious too.

Urged by Kejen, Yeongwoo scrolled down the list of trading positions.

Sssrk—

The next items looked more reasonable than the first seven.

[8] Plans to trade Katangdal ingot.

“Katangdal ingot is an official trading position?”

— Told you. It’s almost a universal currency here.

Not only highly liquid, but easily usable for bartering as well—that was Kejen’s explanation.

More plausible positions followed:

[9] Current goods are stolen property.

[10] Seeking trader with a bounty.

[11] Here to retrieve stolen goods.

“There must be a lot of thieves with Level-3 permits.”

— More likely armed robbers than thieves.

“That #11—‘here to retrieve stolen goods’—must be people like the Kardal royal family?”

— Probably. Didn’t think Level-3 holders would include those types too… we should be careful.

Stolen-goods sellers and stolen-goods retrievers had surprisingly similar preference rates.

“So financial crimes mostly conclude here, huh.”

— If someone’s trying to retrieve goods stolen by a robber, you must be careful. If they had the strength to win, they wouldn’t have been robbed in the first place.

“But you’re not a robber…”

— Right. I’m a thief. Which means the royal family won’t just retrieve the seal; they’ll try to capture me again too.

“Then would they even bring any money?”

— Since this is the Black Zone, the seal’s owner could have changed in the meantime, and trading methods vary widely. They’ll bring at least minimal payment.

“Hoh.”

— But the more money they bring, the stronger the retrieval agent they would’ve sent. Either way, it won’t be easy.

Then Kejen stared intently at Yeongwoo.

— I’m counting on you. Even though this is the Black Zone, I mean this sincerely.

“You have no one but me to fight for the seal during the trade. Obviously.”

— Collectors can be a problem too. If the seller looks weak, it’s normal for them to go for a backstab.

“I figured that out the moment I saw the positions.”

By now, the lowest-ranked preference—bloodless trade—appeared.

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[12] Looking for someone to fight.

[13] Looking for work.

[14] Bonds accepted as payment.

[15] Wants a bloodless trade.

“Ah, looks like that’s the end.”

Yeongwoo scanned up and down the long list.

Kejen’s beard twitched.

— Now you pick your trading positions, list your item, and set the price. That’s it.

“That’s all? Then the trade starts?”

— No. After that, your sale listing goes up, and the Black Zone begins matching you with suitable buyers.

“How long does it take to find a buyer?”

— Depends on your conditions and item. But for Katangdal ingots, buyers will line up.

Fast trades within 5 minutes, slower within a few hours—that was Kejen’s estimate.

— Let’s put the Katangdal ingot up first. While it’s posted, we can go retrieve the seal.

“Then the plan is: first use the ingot trade to learn the system, then sell the seal properly.”

— Good plan. Most things here go badly, but this one isn’t.

Kejen crossed his arms with a serious expression.

— Choose your positions.

“8 and 9 are confirmed… but can I lie when choosing positions?”

[8] Plans to trade Katangdal ingot.

[9] Goods are stolen property.

— With how many people claim ‘I have no money but want to buy something,’ I doubt the system cares.

He stroked his chin.

— But since Katangdal ingots are traded so often, there’s no reason to lie.

“What about the seal?”

— Everyone will assume it’s stolen anyway, no matter what you say. They’ll apply for the purchase under that assumption.

“True.”

— Also, since this is a Level-3-and-above system, the info you provide is usually applied in your favor—matching you with buyers suited to your goals.

“So that’s why all those guys honestly chose option 1.”

— Pretty much. But there are madmen who hunt those honest idiots to strip them of their gear—so don’t relax.

In short: if you’re not strong, you die.

“Does the position I choose now also apply to the seal trade later?”

— Probably after one trade you can change positions, but selecting multiple shouldn’t matter. The Black Zone understands the ingot’s price better than anyone.

“Then I just need #3 for now, since we haven’t set the seal’s price yet.”

[3] Has item to sell. Price unknown.

Yeongwoo tapped #3—then slyly tapped #2 as well.

[2] Has payment, but only wants goods.

— …Huh? Planning to mug someone first?

“I told you earlier. If the accident rate is that high, I’ll just cause the first accident.”

Truthfully, he also wanted to press #7:

[7] Carried item is a living organism.

If the royal agent was here, he could theoretically turn Kejen in for bounty money.

But as Kejen himself said.

Even a villain should mind their words in front of the person concerned.

“Let’s choose sensibly.”

With a layered meaning, Yeongwoo finalized the positions:

[2] Has payment, but only wants goods.

[3] Has item to sell. Price unknown.

[8] Plans to trade Katangdal ingot.

[9] Goods are stolen property.

A system message appeared.

“Trading positions confirmed.”

“Before listing your items for sale, please choose a trading method.”

“Trading method? Ah, the thing you mentioned earlier?”

— Yeah. You can unilaterally decide what will happen inside the trading arena.

Another message confirmed it:

「Your chosen trading method will not be disclosed to the other party. Please choose carefully.」

Then appeared the extremely serious options.

[Fair & Square]

| Trade: Meet at the center of the trading arena and exchange item and payment directly.

| Exit: When you shout the designated keyword, both sides are forcibly expelled from the arena.

[Stone Toss]

| Trade: Each trader stands at opposite ends of the arena. At the system’s signal, both sides throw their item toward the center.

| Exit: A single exit gate appears at the center of the arena.

[Crossroads]

| Trade: Each trader is assigned to a starting point at opposite ends. Each leaves their item on their spot, then walks to the opponent’s spot to collect the payment.

| Exit: One exit gate appears at each end of the arena.

[Tag]

| Trade: The moment the opponent enters, either their payment or their selling item is instantly transferred to you.

| Exit: An exit gate appears at the farthest point from both traders.

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